Waterspout spotted south of Tyndall Air Force Base

By STEVEN ROE / The News Herald

Published: Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 11:23 AM.

A tornado warning has ended for Bay County. A waterspout had been seen near Tyndall but both it and the threat the weather held for the area is over, officials said. The weather is expected to be cloudy and rainy the rest of the day. Tonights lows will be in the 60s and the area is expected to have a cold snap for several days.

A tornado warning is in effect for Bay County.

A waterspout has been seen south of Tyndall Air Force Base headed northeast. Please take shelter and all precautions necessary. The warning is in effect until 1:45 p.m.

A cold front that brought high winds and rain to the Panhandle will make for a chilly morning Friday, with the temperature expected to be in the upper 30s overnight, according to the National Weather Service.

Officials believe it will get even colder Friday night, reaching the lower 30s just in time for the holidays.

There is a freeze warning in effect from late Friday night to early Saturday morning. Those more north, away from the coast, should be expecting temperatures to be in the upper 20s Friday night, and a high in upper 50s on Saturday.

But if you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, that’s not likely. The National Weather Service said temperatures are expected to get gradually warmer, with a high of 68 by Monday.

Thursday at 9:30 a.m. there was a tornado watch in Bay County, the result of the cold front and warm humid air across the Panhandle. It was followed by strong winds and thunderstorms not long after. There was a tornado warning issued at 1:15 p.m. due to a waterspout that was spotted south of Tyndall Air Force Base. No damages or injuries were caused by the waterspout, with the exception of several downed trees. The warning was lifted only 30 minutes later at 1:45 p.m., and temperatures began to drop as the cold front moved through the Southeast.

Earlier versions of this story are posted below:

A tornado warning has ended for Bay County. A waterspout had been seen near Tyndall but both it and the threat the weather held for the area is over, officials said. The weather is expected to be cloudy and rainy the rest of the day. Tonights lows will be in the 60s and the area is expected to have a cold snap for several days.

A tornado warning is in effect for Bay County.

A waterspout has been seen south of Tyndall Air Force Base headed northeast. Please take shelter and all precautions necessary. The warning is in effect until 1:45 p.m.

We'll have more information as it becomes available.

An earlier version of this story is below:

A tornado watch has been issued for Bay County andseveral other counties in the Panhandle this morning.

The watch began about 9:30 a.m. and will last until 6 p.m. and should bring some thunderstorms along with it, officials said. The combination of warm humid temperature as well as the cold front coming in, creates the conditions for a tornado watch.

Predicting it any further "is like winning the lottery," said Jeff Evans, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Tallahassee.

One thing this tornado warning marks, is the ending of the warm weather streak Bay County has had this Christmas season.

Weather conditions in the Panhandle could reach the upper twenties by tomorrow, Evans added.